Container supporting elevator



y 1962 H. A. KAPRIELIAN ET AL 3,032,223

CONTAINER SUPPORTING ELEVATOR Filed Sept. 15, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 HERBERT A. KAPR/EL/AN 7-7 SAMUEL M. ANDERSON INVEN TOPS HUEBNER 8 WOR/PEL A77'0RNEKS' wym May 1962 H. A. KAPRIELIAN ETAI. 3,032,223

CONTAINER SUPPORTING ELEVATOR- Filed Sept. 15, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 iillllllllm HERBERT A. KAPR/EL/A/V SAMUEL M. ANDERSON INVENTOAJ- HUEBNER 8 WORREL A 770/?NEYS ice 3,032,223 CONTAINER SUPPORTING ELEVATOR Herbert A. Kaprielian, 9234 S. Alta, Reedley, Calif, and Samuel M. Anderson, Rte. 5, Box 690, Visalia, Calif. Filed Sept. 15, 1959, Ser. No. 840,072 11 Claims. (Cl. 214714) The present invention relates to a container supporting stand and more particularly to a packing stand adapted to support a container in a convenient packing position and to permit a packer to transfer a loaded container onto a conveyor adjacent to said packing position with a minimum of effort.

In the preparation of certain fresh fruits and other produce for market, the fruit is transported from the field to a packing house where it is sorted and placed in containers for further shipment. Normally, the fruit from the field is dumped into a long supply conveyor, in the packing house, which conveyor travels along beside a series of packing stands individually attended by packers. Each stand provides a table for supporting one or more containers in a packing position. The packer selects the incoming fruit from the supply conveyor and places it according to prescribed size or other standards into the container. When the container is packed, either the packer or another attendant manually transfers the container from the table to a discharge conveyor also adjacent to the stands.

Inasmuch as such packers are conventionally paid on the basis of piece work, it is very important both to the packer and to the packing house that the handling of the fruit and loaded containers be accomplished as efficiently as possible. With the conventional packing stand and method of container handling outlined above, it becomes very fatiguing to transfer a large number of loaded containers from the packing table to the discharging conveyor during a normal working shift and requires substantial time. Women are usually employed as packers and this task is particularly onerous to them. Furthermore, if the packer chooses to Wait for an attendant to transfer the loaded container, this reduces production although perhaps conserving the energy of the packer.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved packing stand.

Another object is to facilitate the handling of a loaded container at a packing stand.

Another object is to minimize the time and effort involved in packing a container with produce, or the like, and subsequently transferring the container to a conveyor or other point of disposition.

Another object is to increase the productivity of a packing house and the individual packers employed there- Another object is to provide a packing stand adapted to support a container in a convenient packing position while permitting a loaded container to be lowered onto a discharging conveyor by the packer with a minimum of eifort.

Other objects are to provide a packing stand of the nature described which is of simple and economical construction, which is dependable in action, and which is durable in construction.

These, together with other objects, will become more fully apparent upon reference to the following description and accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a packing stand embodying the principles of the present invention showing a container in a packing position in full lines and a container in a transferring position in dashed lines.

FIG. 2 is a fragemntary front elevation of the packv ing stand of FIG. 1 with the container omitted.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the stand of FIGS. 1 and 2 and with the outlines of containers indi-v cated in dashed lines.

FIG. 4 is a somewhat enlarged side elevation of the packing stand with portions broken away for illustrative convenience and showing a container in dashed lines.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary somewhat enlarged vertical section taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a transverse section taken on a plane at a position indicated by line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, a packing stand embodying the principles of the present invention is generally indicated by the numeral 10 in FIGS. 1, 2, 3. A floor or foundation 11 is partially illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. Abase 12 is supported on the floor, and a discharging conveyor 13 is supported on the base. The conveyor includes a plurality of pairs of legs 14 upwardly extended from the base with the legs in each pair being in transversely spaced, substantially parallel relation and with the pairs of legs being in longitudinally spaced substantially parallel relation with respect to the length of the conveyor. Angle irons 16 extend longitudinally of the conveyor, interconnect adjacent legs on each side of the conveyor, and are secured to the base. Struts 18 rigidly interconnect the legs in upwardly spaced relation to the base and elongated bars 19 are extended longitudinally of the conveyor and are supported on the legs in transversely spaced substantially parallel relation.

plane, while the rollers at the extreme right of the conveyor, as also viewed in FIG. 2, are in a plane which is slightly downwardly inclined from said horizontal plane. The conveyor provides a pair of slots 21 extended transversely therein and individually disposed in substantially vertical planes, as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. The slots are actually defined by interruptions in the bars 19 and by the peripheries of adjacent rollers at said interruptions. For descriptive convenience, it is to be noted that the conveyor has an upper surface defined by the combined upwardly disposed peripheries of the rollers.

A substantially rectangular panel 36 is supported in upstanding position on the floor 11 and in laterally spaced relation to the conveyor 13, as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 3. An upper bracket 31 and a lower bracket 32 are individually rigidly connected to the panel adjacent to its upper edge and to the floor by means of bolts 33. and nuts 34.

Elongated posts 40 extend upwardly from the floor 11 in spaced parallel relation to each other and have upper and lower ends 41 and 42, respectively, individually ri idly connected, as by welding, to the upper and lower brackets 31 and 32. It is evident that the brackets space the posts outwardly from the panels, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Of particular significance the posts are individually in common vertical planes with the slots 21. Elongated sleeves 43 are individually slidably fitted on the posts for elevational slidable movement upwardly and downwardly on their respective posts. It is to be noted that the sleeves have inside diameters slightly greater than the outside diameters of the posts to permit slight tipping of the axes of the sleeves with respect to their posts for a purpose subsequently to be described. Also, it is to be noted, as best illustrated in FIG. 5, that the sleeves have apertures 45 intermediate their upper Patented May 1, 1962 It is to be noted and lower ends and facing away from the panel and toward the conveyor 13.

Pairs of flanges 50 are individually rigidly connected, as by welding, to the sleeves 43. The flanges of each pair are in spaced parallel relation to each other on opposite sides of the apertures in their respective sleeve. Elongated tubular, container support rods 52 provide inner ends 53 and opposite outer ends 54. As will subsequently become apparent, the rods and flanges constitute container supporting brackets. Brakes 56 provide blades 57 individually rigidly connected to the inner ends of the rods and extend radially outwardly from the rods. Each brake also has a finger 58 integrally extended from its respective blade and endwardly of its respective rod. The blades are individually positioned between the pairs of flanges and pivotally connected thereto by horizontal pins 59 for elevational pivotal movement of the rods 52 about horizontal axes extended transversely of the posts and longitudinally of the conveyor 13, as defined by the pins 59. In these mounted positions of the rods, the blades extend downwardly from the rods and the rods extend over the slots 21 in said common vertical planes therewith. The rods are elevationally pivotal with respect to the sleeves 43 and in said vertical planes between lower braking positions with the fingers 58 of their respective brakes 56 extended through the apertures 45 and engaging the. posts 40, as illustrated in FIG. 5, and upper positions with said fingers disengaged from the posts. Because of the location of their pivot axes with respect to their centers of gravity, it is evident that the rods tend to pivot in clockwise directions, as viewed in FIG. 5, about their pivot pins thereby gravitationally urging the fingers into braking engagement with the posts. In order to disengage the fingers and release the brakes, it is necessary to lift the outer ends 54 of the rods in a manner to be described hereinafter. It is further to be noted that When the rods are in their braking positions, slidable movement of the sleeves 43 on the posts is resisted. When the brakes are released, such slidable movement is permitted.

An elongated cylindrical plunger 62 is slidably fitted in the inner end 53 of each support rod 52. A stop 63 is extended transversely through each support rod in inwardly spaced relation to its inner end. Coiled compression springs 64 are fitted in the rods and provide opposite. ends respectively bearing against the stops and the plungers for yieldably urging the plungers outwardly from the inner ends of the rods and into engagement with their respective sleeves 43 above the apertures 45. When the rods 52 are in braking positions, the plungers are urged against the sleeves and serve to stabilize the rods by resisting upward pivoting movement of the rods, as easily visualized in FIG. 5. On the other hand, the springs readily yield to permit retraction of the plungers when the rods are manually lifted into brake releasing positions.

An inner support plate 70 is rigidly secured to the inner end 53 of each support rod 52 and is extended transversely thereof. The support plates are located on the upwardly disposed surfaces of the rods in contrast to the brakes 56 which extend from the downwardly disposed surfaces of the rods, as mounted on the pins 59 Arcuate, stabilizing leaf springs 71 provide mounting end portions rigidly connected to opposite ends of the inner support plates and also bearing end portions in spring-pressed engagement with the panel 30 on opposite sides of their respective posts 40. It is evident that these springs impart lateral stability to the rods 52 since they minimize the tendency for the sleeves 43 to rotate about the posts.

Elongated outer support plates 75 are rigidly connected to the outer ends 54 of the support rods 52 in substantially common planes with the inner support plates 76 on their respective rods and in spaced substantially parallel relation to their respective inner plates. Outer abutment plates 76 arerigidly upwardly extended from the outer support plates and are substantially perpendicular thereto,

nected to the outer plates and extend outwardly there-' from.

Operation The operation of the described embodiment of the subject invention is believed to be readily apparent and is briefly summarized at this point. pack a container, as 85, the handle 78 associated with one of the rods 52 is lifted to pivot the rod into an upper brake releasing position. By lifting upwardly on the center of the rod, the sleeve 43 to which the rod is connected is slid upwardly on its post 40 into a conveniently elevated, upper packing position, as viewed in FIG. 1, suited to the individual packer. The rod is then lowered into braking position whereby the finger 58 engages the post through the aperture 45 in the sleeve. This precludes downward slidable movement of the sleeve so that the rod is elevationally supported in a downwardly declined packing position above the conveyor 13. The container is then rested on the inner and outer support plates 70 and 75 with an end of the container against the outer abutment plate 76.

The packer then removes the fruit, or other produce, from the supply conveyor, not shown, in the usual manner and places the fruit in the container 85. It is evident that the more fruit which is placed in the container and thus the more weight which bears downwardly on the rod, the greater will be the frictional engagement between the braking fingers 58 and the post 40 When the container 85 is loaded, the packer lifts upwardly on the handle 78 to pivot the rod 82 and the container supported thereon upwardly into a brake releasing position. The container is thus supported at one end by means of the sleeve 43 and at the other end by the packer. Since there is no longer resistance to downward sliding movement of the sleeve on the post, the sleeve starts to descend the post. However, by lifting upwardly on the handle during descent of the sleeve, the packer is able to tilt the sleeve slightly with respect to the post whereby the upper and lower ends of the sleeve rub against the post and apply braking resistance to an otherwise free descent of the sleeve under the weight of the container. With a little experience, the packer is thus able to control descent of the container with a minimum of effort and at a desired rate of speed.

The rod 52 on descending passes through its aligned slot 21' in the conveyor 13 and thus moves below the plane of the rollers 20. However, inasmuch as the container 85 is considerably wider than the slot, the container remains on the rollers as the rod moves downwardly through the slot. The packer then shoves the container longitudinally along the conveyor until it reaches the downwardly declined section thereof, seen in FIG. 2, where it descends gravitationally for travel to a common discharge conveyor, not shown. When the loaded container uncovers the slot, the rod is grasped between its ends 53 and 54 and is again elevated into its packing position and the brake applied to hold it in this position. An empty container is placed on the support and abutment plates 70, 75 and 76 and the procedure repeated,

It is to be noted that there are a pair of container support rods 52 and associated structure for enabling different sizes of fruit to be packed in the containers on each rod. Further, if there is a stoppage in the flow of loaded containers on the discharge conveyor, the packer has two containers to fill while waiting for an opportunity to transfer one of the loaded containers onto the discharge conveyor.

From the foregoing, it Will be evident that improvements have been provided in a packing stand of the type employed in packing houses. The invention is particularly advantageous since it minimizes the time and effort involved in transferring a loaded container from a pack- In order to load or ing position onto a discharge conveyor. Utilization of the subject invention reduces the time consumed in packing produce and thus increases the productivity both of the packing house and the individual packers.

Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a stand for packing a container, a foundation; an elongated substantially horizontal discharge conveyor mounted on the foundation and having a slot extended transversely thereof and located in a substantially vertical plane, said slot being narrower than such a container to be packed; a post rigidly upwardly extended from the foundation in the plane of the slot; a sleeve having an inside diameter slightly greater than the outside diameter of the post and slidably fitted on the post for elevational slidable movement between an upper packing position and a lower conveying position, the sleeve having an aperture therein; an elongated container support rod having inner and outer ends; a brake rigidly extended from the inner end of the rod and providing a braking finger; means pivotally connecting the brake to the sleeve with the rod extended transversely of the conveyor in the plane of the slot and for elevational pivotal movement of the rod about a substantially horizontal axis extended transversely of the post, said rod being pivotally movable between a downwardly declined braking position with the finger extended through the aperture in the sleeve and into braking engagement with the post and an upper released position with the finger out of engagement from the post; spaced inner and outer support plates rigidly connected to the rod and extended transversely thereof for supporting a container on the rod; and a handle connected to the outer plate for enabling the rod to be pivoted manually between said braking and released positions whereby a packed container on the rod can be lowered onto the conveyor by moving the rod into said released position and sliding the sleeve downwardly on the post until the rod passes through the slot in the conveyor, said sleeve being axially inclinable with respect to the Post during lowering of the rod controllably to retard descent of the rod incident to slidable frictional engagement of the sleeve with the post.

2. The stand of claim 1 including a plunger slidably fitted in the inner end of the rod; and means within the rod yieldably urging the plunger outwardly of the rod into frictional engagement with the sleeve to impart elevational stability to the rod.

3. The stand of claim 1 wherein a panel is rigidly upwardly extended from the foundation in laterally spaced relation to the conveyor, said post being extended upwardly along the panel, wherein the support plates have opposite ends, and wherein arcuate stabilizing springs are connected to the opposite ends of the inner plate and bear against the panel on opposite sides of the post whereby the springs impart transverse stability to the rod.

4. In a stand for handling containers of predetermined width, a foundation, an elongated, horizontally extended conveyor mounted on the foundation and having a predetermined width and a slot providing a dimension measured longitudinally of the conveyor which dimension is narrower than the width of the containers being handled, the conveyor also having opposite sides, said slot being extended transversely of the conveyor and being disposed in a substantially vertical plane, a container supporting bracket including a pair of end members interconnected in spaced relation farther apart than the Width of the conveyor by an intermediate member narrower than the 6 slot, and means mounting said bracket at one end thereof on the foundation with said intermediate member extended transversely of the conveyor in the plane of the slot therein and for elevational adjustable movement between an upper position in elevationally spaced relation to the conveyor and a lower conveying position with the intermediate member extended downwardly into the slot and with the end members outwardly adjacent to opposite sides of the conveyor whereby a container thereon is transferred to the conveyor.

5. In a container supporting apparatus, a foundation, a post rigidly supported in upright position by the foundation, an elongated sleeve diametrically larger than the post to permit relative axial inclination and being slidably fitted on the post for elevational movement on the post, an elongated container support bracket having an inner portion pivotally connected to the sleeve and an outer portion extended transversely outwardly therefrom for elevational pivotal movement relative to the sleeve, the sleeve having an aperture therein, and a braking finger rigidly connected to the bracket for movement between a braking position extended through the aperture in the sleeve whereby weight of the bracket and a container supported thereon gravitationally urges the finger into frictional engagement with the post to resist slidable movement of the sleeve on the post, and a released position out of engagement with the post and with the bracket substantially horizontally outwardly extended to permit said elevational movement of the sleeve on the post and of atcontainer supported on the bracket, the sleeve having upper and lower ends and being axially inclinable relative to the post for frictional engagement of said ends with the post incident to elevational adjustment of the outer portion of the bracket by an amount insufiicient to extend the finger into post engagement so that when a container is on the bracket its descent is retarded by frictional engagement of the sleeve with the post.

6. The combination of an elongated conveyor having a slot extended transversely the full width thereof with the slot being located in a predetermined upright plane, the conveyor also having an upper load supporting surface, an elongated post mounted in a substantially erect position adjacent to the conveyor, an elongated container receiving member of a size and shape enabling it to pass through the slot, means mounting the member on the post in the plane of the slot for elevational movement longitudinally of the post upwardly and downwardly through the slot between an upper packing position with the member in elevationally spaced, overlying relation to the conveyor and a lower position below the upper surface of the conveyor, and support means borne by the member releasably engageable with the post to hold the member in packing position.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein the mounting means mounts the member for elevational pivotal movement in said upper packing position between an inclined attitude wherein said support means is in engagement with the post and a substantially horizontal attitude wherein the support means is disengaged from the post to permit said elevational movement longitudinally of the post.

8. In an apparatus for packing a container, an elongated conveyor having a slot extended transversely thereof with the slot being located in a predetermined upright plane, the conveyor having an upper load supporting surface, a support mounted adjacent to the conveyor, a substantially H-shaped container receiving bracket including an elongated intermediate member of a size and shape enabling it to pass through the slot and a pair of end members connected to the intermediate member and spaced farther apart than the width of the conveyor, and means mounting the bracket at one end thereof on the support for elevational movement in a predetermined path of travel between an upper packing position in elevationally spaced relation substantially directly above the conveyor andla lower. container transferring position with the intermediate member received in the slotv in the conveyor and with the end members adjacent opposite sides of the conveyor whereby a container packed in said packing position can be loweredv onto. the conveyor in bridging relation to the slot and thereafter moved longitudinally along the conveyor away from the slot to permit return of the bracket to said packing position.

9. The combination of an elongated conveyor including a pair of longitudinally adjacent rollers having periphcries in adjacent, longitudinally spaced relation to each other, the conveyor also having an upper load supporting surface, an elongated post mounted in a substantially erect position adjacent to the conveyor, an elongated container receiving member having opposite ends and being of a size and shape enabling it to fit between the adjacent peripheries of said adjacent rollers, and means mounting the member at one end thereof on the post for elevational movement longitudinally of the post be tween an upper packing position with the member in elevationally spaced, overlying relation to the conveyor and a lower position below the upper surface of the conveyor, said means mounting the member for travel between said pair of adjacent rollers during said elevational movement between theupper and lower positions.

10. In a stand for packing a container; an elongated, substantially horizontally extended discharge conveyor having a slot extended transversely thereof and located in an upright plane, said slot being narrower than such a container to be packed; a post mounted adjacent to the conveyor in an upright position; a sleeve having an inside diameter slightly greater than the outside diameter of the post and slidably fitted on the post for elevational slidable movement between an upper packing position and a lower conveying position; an elongated container support receivable in the slot and having inner and outer ends; a brake rigidly extended from the inner end of the support and providing a braking finger; means pivotally connecting the brake to thesleeve with the support extended transversely of the conveyor in the plane of the slot and for elevational pivotal movement of the support about a substantially horizontal axis extended transversely of the post, said support being pivotally movable between a downwardly declined braking position with the finger extended into braking engagement with the post and an upper released position with the finger out of engagement from the post; and means connected to the outer end of the support for enabling the support to be pivoted manually between said braking and released positions whereby a packed container onthe support can be lowered onto the conveyor by movingthe support into said released position and sliding the sleeve downwardly on the post until the support is received in the slot in the conveyor, said sleeve being axially inclinable with respect to the post during lowering of the support controllably to retard descent of the supportv having inner and outer portions, means pivotally connecting the inner portion of the bracket to the sleeve adjacent to the upper end thereof for elevational pivotal movement of the bracket relative to the sleeve about a substantially horizontal axis extended transversely of the post thereby enabling axial inclination of the sleeve relative to the post when a loaded container is positioned on the bracket and. the outer portion of the bracket is independently supported for controllably retarding descent of the bracket incident to slidable frictional engagement of the upper and lower ends of the sleeve with the post, and resiliently compressible means interposed the inner portion of the bracket and the sleeve above the pivotal axis of the bracket on the sleeve for yieldably urging downward pivotal movement of the bracket about its axis. I

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,360,661 Eddy et a1 Oct. 17, 1944 2,842,275 Kughler July 8, 1958 2,901,206 Gredell Aug. 25, l9.59

FOREIGN PATENTS 345,063 Great Britain Mar. 19, 1931 623.110 Great Britain May 12, 1949 

